College coaches could hit the recruiting trail beginning Thursday with Peach Jam, 3SSB and UAA Finals are all in full swing. Maryland is still without a commitment in the 2024 class but has their eye on a number of targets while the staff gets another look at several of its 2025 targets. We break down all the action.
The list, naturally, starts with the Terps’ prized recruit as Maryland and head coach Kevin Willard was in attendance to watch Team Thrill with five-star target Derik Queen in action as Team Thrill coasted to a 12-point win over Riverside then a 33-point win over Houston Defenders. The smooth, efficient big has transitioned his strong junior season into a dominant summer, first standing out at the Top 100 camp before dazzling at the UAA Finals. Queen’s recruitment has remained quiet for much of the first half of summer, electing against visits with the same heavy hitters in his recruitment. Assistant David Cox has picked up the pieces in a recruitment that Tony Skinn once started as Maryland remains heavily involved for the prized Baltimore product, with Indiana and Kansas also heavily involved. Queen was expected to return to campus in June for an unofficial visit, but those plans could come to fruition later this summer before departing back to Montverde for his senior season. Confidence has remained consistent throughout Queen’s recruitment from Maryland’s end with a winter decision still expected.
While Queen dominated, so did 2025 guard Tyler Jackson as the floor general showed off improved shooting compared to his DMV Live showing with Maryland squarely involved in the Baltimore product’s recruitment. Jackson will get a chance to share the load on the court with Daquan Davis in his junior season, but assistant David Cox has kept Maryland in the mix early. “Just the same thing with him, Jahn [Lamothe] and the other two guys. That’s big for me so just watching them, seeing how they like that, I want to see that,” Jackson said about next steps with Maryland.
2025 four-star prospect Efeosa Oliogu also led the way in Canada Elite’s 2-0 start as the versatile forward flashed his ability to score inside and out. Assistant Greg Manning has led the way with the 6-foot-5 guard and hosted him for an unofficial visit in mid-May with the staff in consistent pursuit and benefitting from a strong relationship with his coaches. Oliogu, the 11th-best prospect in the 2025 class, is expected to take an official visit to Maryland prior to the start of his junior year.
Maryland also got a chance to watch 2025 guard Chance Mallory again, weeks after watching him at DMV Live before the 5-foot-9 guard visited campus for an unofficial visit. “The head coach, he talks to me a lot, he’s been at a bunch of my games. He’s been talking to me, I’m supposed to come take a visit next week up here and then, they just say they love my game so I just try to perform in front of them,” Mallory told IBG. “They’re just a great coaching staff. It’s a great program, great people and close to home. They haven’t said anything crazy, just building the relationship but they’ve let me know they support me and have been watching a lot of me.” Four-star guard Adrien Stevens was also in action as We-R1 split their two games on Friday after the high-flying guard impressed the staff at DMV Live, weeks after picking up the offer and visiting campus.
Maryland will also have a presence at Peach Jam with a number of targets in action, including Team Melo standouts Malachi Palmer, Kiyan Anthony and Jacob Ross along with 2025 Takeover point guard Nyk Lewis. Maryland has been involved with Palmer ever since assistant Tony Skinn picked up the pieces of his recruitment last season with assistant David Cox picking up efforts since. Ross, meanwhile, unofficially visited campus last month with the staff keeping tabs on him following a new offer. Kiyan, the son of former NBA star Carmelo Anthony, became a new name for Maryland after the staff extended an offer last month. Lewis also made his way to campus in early May with Maryland working towards prioritizing the top-50 prospect.
Meanwhile, Maryland also hosted 2025 Glenelg County forward Deng Bush for an unofficial visit in late June as assistant Greg Manning keeps tabs on the 7-foot rising junior. Loyola (MD) is the lone offer early on for Bush.
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